Pump not running for over 5 months...SLAM back to clear blue hopefully

[robbeaux]

We just moved in to this house at the end of May. My wife had lived before and a family member was living here prior to us. The pool pump died somewhere in January. After the chaos of a move and trouble shooting what turned out to be bad wiring and a burnt pump I finally got the new one installed and now can circulate the water.

Wife followed the local pool store advice....60 pounds of shock, increase the pH and 2x the floc recommended. I asked why increase the pH when the floc says decrease to 7.2 AND THE REPLY WAS : "Are you going to trust that label or us...we have been doing this a long time." As a scientist....I am sorry this company knows their product....THEM not some college age kid reading a print out. ANY WAY....

I had been reading here and had let my wife take the lead since she had cared for this pool before whereas I had not had a pool. First it was a less green yucky chunky pool. I left to go away for a week and when I returned it was now a lighter green sorta chunky pool with scum that was holding bubbles and floating till disturbed. She added algacide and more floc.(5 x the dosage now in pool) At this point....I ordered my test kit knowing this was not going to be easy nor would the pool store advice do anything but cause me to go broke. Test kit arrives and here are my levels. Started the SLAM on July 4th(woke up on 5th with below shock levels at FC 6.5 so I ran the whole suite of tests.)

July 5
FC 6.5
CC 2.0
CYA 20
CH 125
TA 100
pH 7.2

Fill water(July 5/july6)
FC 0.5/0.5
CC 1/3
CH 125/0
TA 100/180
pH 8.2/8.2

July 5 was only about 5 minutes running the water whereas July 6 was after running it over an hour. The fill water seems strange to me...no CH-did that test twice and a higher TA. The CC in the fill wouldn't pass SLAM stopping points either.

So I have been slamming with cal-hypo since I could use the calcium and wont get it from the fill water. I have been keeping it between 12 and 20. My CYA was zero on July 3 and I added enough CYA to bring it up 30. So I have been shooting for a SLAM of 12-15 while that gets in the system.( check every 30 minutes to hour) Brushed daily besides vacuuming to waste.

Currently its milky green...very light green. So far 2 turtles removed(alive) and about 50gallons of leaves, bones(frog or fish), plastic bags and hundreds of tadpoles.

Here is why I am here.....
I have a floc problem. I know I am not supposed to turn off the filter but when the backwashing is needed every 30 to 60 minutes...I have to shut it down to sleep or when we leave for longer than 60 minutes. Upon return the floc has settled so I vacuum it to waste. I have did that three times to a big improvement in color and clarity.

So tomorrow for my 11 hours away from home--what should I do? Put it on recirculate or turn it off.

Pool details...
Baton Rouge LA( need thermometer)
Full sun from about 9am till about 4pm
35500 to 39000 gallons
vinyl liner inground.
main drain and one skimmer to returns
1.5 HP pump
sand filter(sand dollar 80) clean psi 19-20, backwash at 25
I can see the third step after vacuuming. Can see vacuum head at roughly 5ft dept...sort. Its got visible particles that are yellow brown.


Tell me what you guys think I should do...(I know I wrote alot....sorry)

 

[JasonLion]

It is better to have circulation than nothing, so if you can't be there to take care of the filter, put it on recirculate.

Getting all of the solid debris out that you possibly can is very important.

 

[robbeaux]

update:
Filter was able to go 8 hours yesterday between backwashing. Noticeably less"particles" in the pool. I left it go over night and it was still not up to backwash levels. I backwashed anyway since i wont see the filter for what would have been 18 hours run time.

10pm FC 18ppm
CC 2ppm
5am FC 17.5/18ppm(tested twice since i was completely shocked by this.)
CC 2ppm

I think I have the green on the run. Now to get the particles out. What really sucks is my fill water is between 1 and 3 CC so every time I add water...I am eating chlorine. I KNOW I have to have leaves and keep vacuuming and cleaning them daily finding fewer of them. With a 10 foot deep end that's too murky to see this is a difficult chore to make sure its all out.

Does any one else have CC laden fill water? Mine doesn't even past SLAM stopping criteria.

 

[zea3]

The CC will burn off in the sun without too much difficulty and they don't take a lot of chlorine to burn off either. Once you have the other two slam criteria satisfied the CC problem in the pool should resolve.

 

[robbeaux]

Thanks...hoping for swimming this weekend.

I need to add a bit of water today-running near where it starts sucking air. I also need to check CYA since its been about 5 days and many backwashes since it was added. i have been slightly over SLAMing levels to keep it where my target CYA was to be safe.